Tuesday, January 05, 2010

It's pretty, but...

Hmph. I am now officially fed up with this snow. We're not used to more than the occasional, mildly diverting fall - "Oooh, look! It's snowing!" - which causes a bit of a nuisance for a day or two and then melts. But it's now been around for the best part of a week and we are NOT AMUSED.

Part of the trouble is that we're not geared up for it. As you can see from the pictures of Daughter 2 valiantly trying to clear a way out of our drive and up the hill, the council don't see our little street as a priority for gritting. (Gritting, whoever it was that asked, is when the council drive a lorry along which leaks salt and grit on to the snow, melting it and giving something for tyres to grip on to.) We live in a cul-de-sac with only five houses in it, so you can see why we might not be top of their gritting list. The street is on a hill, steeper than it looks in the picture, and unless you get your car up the hill before the snow, that's you more or less stuck till the snow melts. The street at right angles to ours is also ungritted and also on a hill. After Daughter 2's efforts yesterday we managed to get the car up to this street, where it now languishes at the mercy of any other car which may skid into ours as it passes. But at least I can get to the supermarket, my mother's house and so on.

Of course, no one has snow tyres or chains or anything because we never need them. Or so we thought!

The cats are EXTREMELY FED UP! They're bouncing stir-crazily around the place, galloping up and down the stairs and risking their lives by tight-rope-walking along the banisters. They keep deciding to go out and then coming in again pronto, shaking their paws disgustedly and looking pleadingly at us: make it go away!

Even Cassie, who normally has a bit of dignity about such things, submits to being held like a baby and cuddled. Might as well. What else is there to do around here?

Daughter 2, who stayed with us really quite a lot over the holiday season, has gone back to her flat. She and Mr Life started work today. And I'm back to work tomorrow.

And I don't like January. It's dark and cold and ... mutter mutter mutter...

15 comments:

I see sunshine -- it's there in that first picture. And in the second and third too -- it's DD2! Poor, poor kitties. Give them some extra prawns and maybe they'll cheer up. Or put them on a sled and pull them around in the snow??? ;-)

You do own a snow shovel. Here in western California we don't own such things and we would be in terrible trouble if it snowed (and stuck around).Our old cat does not like to go outside if it is raining.

I, too, see sunshine! With our snow in January... February... March... and so on, we have grey skies! Very gloomy, indeed! We have yet to get snowed in... but we have plenty of the white stuff, which are not kind to dress shoes! Hope it melts for you soon! :) {My favorite part about the snow? Sitting by the roaring fire and reading! Being snowed in gives me an excuse to enjoy! ;)}

oh, I know it must be annoying, but its so lovely to look at . i have ben looking at your photos and heaving great sighs of envy. Then, I dont have to drive in it. (I have, funnily enough, both a 4 wheel drive and snow chains, would you believE!)

My 16 year old daughter left on Sunday for europe and the uk for hockey. she hardly took any thermals and stepped out of the plane into -10C in Paris. The French hockey matches are so far cancelled due to the ground being frozen, which is kind of a relief as I have no idea how you could go from 28C to -10C and run around in a little skirt on an open hockey field.

She hits england on the 13th. No scotland, sadly. Im hoping she gets at least a GLIMPSE of some snow. She'd love it, so pardon my hoping it stays around...

What does your council say when you ring up and weep into your phone about the lack of gritting (thanks for the explanation - I had not thought of salt)?Surely it should be your turn soon.Our hot weather is back and I sit here dripping inelegantly.

Yes, I, too, would like the weather gods to explain what's going on. My feet are frozen---all the time! My lovely tomatoes, that were coming along so nicely, have been cowering under a tent of several layers of old sheets! And no end in sight. Next thing you know, WE'LL be shovelling snow, in Florida!....Aggghhh!

It's snowing again here (Buxton,Derbyshire) and the schools are closed for the 3rd day in some cases. I can't get the car out at all, but neither can anyone else. Only the main roads are ever gritted and our council doesn't answer calls, they just go to a recorded message.We need some essentail shopping so I'll have to hike into town to get it, hopefully people haven't been panic buying. Snow forecast here for another week at least.One benefit of all this is the lovely quiet outside. Only the occasional plane passes over (if Manchester airport has opened)and the very odd 4WD goes along the road at the end of ours.

I can sympathize. With both you and the cats. My Evil Ninja Assassin Cat is an indoor kitty, but escapes often for an afternoon in the great outdoors because my girls are not very careful about closing the door behind them.

The other day, he saw his chance, darted out onto the front steps, and then jumped off the side where he is used to landing on bare earth, only to find himself shoulder deep in snow. I now believe in levitation, because he bounced back up, reversed direction, and shot back in the house, giving me the dirtiest look possible for a feline face.

My condolences. Snow and winter when you have the infrastructure, heating, clothing and plows, is not a problem. Never much minded Detroit nor Boston winters, because they clear the streets, and I always had a parka.

I'm even feeling sorry for the deep US south, getting icy weather, and them with no proper heating, insulation, coats, nothing.

I feel for you, Isabelle! An English blog friend e-mailed and told me how socked in with snow and cold you are over there at the moment and I don't blame you one tiny bit for not being amused. We've had much the same weather here and we are geared up for it, but we're still not amused! Lucky you to have had Daughter 2 home with you.Much to our delight, Daughter 1 has been with us for 2 weeks and has been valiantly helping to feed the barn cats and outdoor wood furnace. Earlier today she shoveled a foot of snow off the front porch...no small feat!Just one (adult) child at a time is not too noisy ;)I must put on layers now and go out to fill the bird feeders. I'd hate to be a bird out there in this weather. Our predicted high and low temps today are 13/3F (-10/-16C). Mutter, mutter indeed. Thank heavens for reading, snuggling under blankets and watching birds. Oh, and reading blogs :)

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About Me

I'm a retired English teacher and live with my husband in Edinburgh. I enjoy reading, gardening, singing and walking; and making fairly simple quilts. Our children are all married. Daughter 1 lives in Edinburgh and is the mother of the much-loved Grandson and Granddaughter-the-Elder. Daughter 2 lives in London, 350 miles to the south and is the mother of sweet baby Granddaughter-the-Youngest. Son lives 65 miles to the north and is the father of dear toddler Granddaughter-the-Younger. I wish they all lived closer together.
I'm very conscious that time is passing and would prefer not to fritter my time away. But I sometimes do.